The actor replaces Robert Downey Jr., who was circling the project in February 2011, but ultimately dropped out. This noir tale, set in 1969 Los Angeles, is based on Thomas Pynchon's 2009 novel about a weed-smoking private detective on a kidnapping case.

Paul Thomas Anderson is directing from his own adapted screenplay, with Megan Ellison producing and financing through her Annapurna Pictures company. John Lesher and JoAnne Sellar are also attached to producer.

Ahh, so that was the one, @thedude-abides. It rings a bell now. Nonetheless, fantastic post (it certainly got me more pumped for the project) and I agree with you. RDJ would have been perfect for a role like this, and even better since you've read the source material. Still, Phoenix has got talent. Regardless, definitely on my must watch top-three of 2014 now. Here's hoping I don't forget again. :P

@bawnian-dexeus I completely agree with you there. Here are a few links that I could find. One of them is to my 2014 movie guide preview list, which I've had up for the past year-and-a-half (although I renamed the list, so it won't show it's been up for as long as it has been). There are numerous other articles where I've talked this one up as well, I just can't remember where.

@thedude-abides I don't doubt RDJ could have done wonders with this movie, given some of his past roles and personal experiences. Still, after watching Phoenix monkey around in Master, he's a best second

@narrator How it also escaped you when I've been promoting it on this site since 2010 is also bothersome to me and my sensibilities, lol.

This has been my most anticipated film for over two years for two reasons: First, because it's P.T. Anderson. The guy, like Ben Affleck put it at the Globes, is Orson Welles. He's simply the best director working today, and it's disgusting to me that people can't seem to wrap their heads around him or his films, because their awe-inspiring, and even that superlative doesn't do Anderson or his work justice. Period.

Number two, and just as important to Anderson's involvement, was Robert Downey Jr.'s involvement. Let me just say that I've read Inherent Vice, and picturing Downey Jr. as Larry "Doc" Sportello -- a weed-smoking private dick in 1969 L.A. -- was, to put it eloquently, f*cking awesome. Definite shades of The Dude Lebowski came to mind picturing RDJ in the role.

The fact that Downey Jr. is being replaced by Phoenix, while it may not appear as a huge blow to some, is a significant blow, nonetheless, and here's why: To put it simply, RDJ was born for this role. Joaquin Phoenix, although a top-10 actor in the world by most standards, and in my opinion, a better overall actor than Downey Jr., is still stepping into a role that someone else was born to play. It's just that simple. I am, as everyone else should be, devastated I'll never get to bear witness to what undeniably would have been an all-time classic performance by Robert Downey Jr. as Larry "Doc" Sportello.

As it is, Joaquin Phoenix is the man, and if The Master were any indication of this guy's potential as an actor, than we're in store for something special. Far and away, this is still my most anticipated film of 2014, Noah included.

After seeing Zodiac, I had always wanted to see RDJ in another crime thriller of sorts, so the fact that this project went over my head when he was possibly attached is bothersome. That being said, Phoenix looks like he could play the part, but I'm just not a huge fan of the guy, acting abilities aside. I feel like RDJ would have been an unforeseen choice in a lot of peoples eyes and would have gotten the guy a memorable role outside of Iron Man. Still, I'm looking forward to this one.